This ____ Is Too Real

Oh how would anybody know
How I really feel
When they cannot know how real
The fears of losing people I know

Once upon a time, not too long ago,
She was a happy girl, full of dreams
Torrential rains, tears flood from the souls of her windows

How would I know?
This is too real

Celebrate the downpour
Once you're back on your feet,
You'd be stronger than the wind
As you build new sandcastles with little children

How would I know?
This is too real

In eight full moons, in the month of June,
I will cross a threshold without you;
Could you hold my hand and maybe have a dance in the mountain sunset?

How would I know?
This is too real. It is just too real.

Why Gift-giving Was Never a Christmas Tradition in My Family

I was three years old when I finally muster up the courage to ask my dad, "Pa, why does Santa never visit us in Brunei? Is it because we don't have chimneys in our house and that it never snows?"

My dad was blunt and honest. "Santa's not real. He does not exist."
I was devastated. "But he was on TV."
My dad said, "People made him up so that people will buy more things at Christmas time."

Imagine the frankness of my dad when I was that young. Sure, I was devastated, but my family was lucky. We got what we needed and/or wanted throughout the year. Christmas was a special time when we spent time as a family, going to church during Christmas morning and having a special dinner together. It was a fun time when my dad would put up the Christmas tree while we sang Christmas carols together. At any given point in time, there will never be gifts underneath the tree.

1960s Squirt Jackpot Slot Machine Toy

The year that I did receive a gift, it was a slot machine. Could you imagine how excited I was to receive SOME THING?! At Christmas time? My dad totally got me! He filled it with water. What a prankster! We all had fun! My sibling and I grew up to be just fine! We were not raised up on fairy tales. My dad provided us a frank and realistic view of the world. He didn't set us up for disappointment.

On the contrary, with a different family, I received a lengthy Christmas list from an individual by text message. Some of us had thought it was somewhat rude, but we love their children, so we didn't think much of it. However, we were all annoyed when neither bothered to contact us when they were visiting the city. More often than not, it seems like the presents would go into the trunk; the visit is normally short. We barely get time to spend any quality time with each other. Little would they know that one Christmas, money was tight. One of us had to sell our belongings so that their children would not have their Christmas ruined.

If I had learnt anything from my father by not participating in gift-giving for the past 20+ years, it really teaches your kids not to feel entitled; i.e. Christmas is not the time when they can get whatever they want. Reward them immediately if they've achieved great grades or have done remarkably well in what you have wanted them to do. It would reinforce great behaviour. Kids won't remember what types of behaviour they should continue if they had to wait until Christmas for everything.


Oh, and the common obligatory gifts that we receive. Adults can buy whatever they need. Please save your own money; there are struggling families who could use the money on groceries over Christmas. Donate to the food bank instead. I'm not big into receiving any trinkets nor anymore bath products at Christmas time. Christmas is a really tough time for us this year; having to save up for a wedding and home renovation isn't at all fun. I would rather people keep their money and use it towards their bill and living expenses.

So many holidays have lost its meaning -- since the media has pretty much brainwashed each of us into how we must buy "things" for others. Really, if you still feel obligated to buy something, a fruit basket would suffice. Vitamin C helps keeps us strong. Simple, delicious and nutritious. 

Blue Christmas

³⁶ and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection. (Luke 20:36)

Losing any loved ones, before the holidays, is not easy. I feel the pain of families having to go through any celebratory events the first time without loved ones. Earlier last month, the doctors did all they could, given the fact that the hospital did not have any cardiac facilities. Nonetheless, my father didn't suffer. It was sudden and quick. My dad left us with a smiling face before we laid him to rest. There are still times when I would have exciting news to share, only to stop myself before I would send my dad an email.

When I heard the song "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", I was crying uncontrollably at the part where the song went, "someday soon, we all will be together". Grieving is a personal journey. Too often, I've been given the advice: "Be strong." It is tiring having to live up to the expectations of a stoic society, hiding behind a smile.  

This Christmas, I won't be celebrating. I've politely turned down all Christmas obligations. In Victorian times, I have been told, they don't celebrate any events for a year. The Chinese culture is almost similar: grieving period is 100 days. It would give us the chance to be close with the remaining family that we've got. Love will keep us together; that would be Christmas enough.


It will be difficult, but as long as we are alongside with family, it is perfectly okay to grief openly. It seems much more noticeable since everyone else is cheerful and having a good time. My advice? Don't worry about what others would say because they probably might not really understand the pain of losing someone close until it happens to them. Chances are that they would respect your need to grief and give you space or offer you hugs.


My thoughts and prayers go out to those who have lost a loved one before Christmas this year.

Autumn in Edmonton

Autumn is a very beautiful time of the year. 97 Street (just north of Yellowhead Trail) provides a great fall scenery.

I was walking my dog with a few other ladies at Queen Elizabeth Park, by Kinsmen. I had to stop when I saw this gorgeous archway framed by trees:

Edmonton has amazing trails for running, walking and cycling. It's a great escape without having to travel too far.

Net Present Value Function in Excel

In a studying frenzy for my CMA case exam, I came up with an NPV template that would tackle:
- changing tax rates
- varying annual cash in-flows & out-flows

In a 4 hour exam, time is precious. I won't have time to use my financial calculator if they gave us a timeline of more than 5 years, which happened in the Solare Consulting case. Hopefully this blog post will be helpful for those who are looking for a quick and dirty reference on calculating NPV for capital budgeting exercise.

Disclaimer: My template has not been audited for accuracy. Use at your own discretion.
Here is the fore-mentioned template. Link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/9rs0tywhmvm50qf/Quant%20Template.docx
I tested it against using the PV factor formula, where-by: (1+k)^-n
I have n laid out as a horizontal timeline: 0 1 2 3 .... n on Excel, where these numbers are linked to, when finding what the PV factor for each n-th year is. (Note: you can copy and paste horizontally until time_n once the PV factor formula is set up)

Then, take the net after-tax annual cash-flows per each year and multiply it by the respective PV factor for that n-th year. Take the sum of these discounted cash-flows. Bang, you've got your NPV.

That is using financial mathematics.

However, there is a quicker way yet.
Find the sum of all your after-tax dollars in the column when n = 0; let's call this CF_0. Then, add that CF_0 with NPV(k%, CF_1:CF_n)

where k% is your after-tax WACC (Weighted Average Cost of Capital).

I tested both and they match.

If the exam gives varying tax rates for different EBIT levels, I might cry a little and use if-statements on Secure Exam to insert tax rates. Then, find NPV. Alright, I have anticipated as many curve-balls they can throw at me. I just hope I'm ready!!

Oops, Wire Went Unplugged

Wow, it has been a while since I've done any artwork, music and writing. I was looking up a really, really old social network profile I had and compare it with what I am actually doing today: my hobbies really took a toll as I have been devoting more time to my career. Any spare time I've got, I try to post often to my food blog as well, on top of maintaining professional studies after work. (Yes, owning a house can eat away a lot of your time, unless I had elves cleaning magically after midnight.)

What I should really do though is to unplug myself from various distractions: the TV and social media. Either two mind-numbing things seem much more detrimental to being creative, especially when time is a constraint. When I write, I think, I feel, I'm alive. I would find ways to improve how I phrase and describe a moment. I found that I am annoyed that I haven't been myself lately. If I was one of the seven dwarves, I'd be Grumpy. A brat. Hurrah, I'm vicariously living my life through others. Piss off. (That's Grumpy talking.)

However, when I try to recall some simple joys, I remember that discovering failures and successes for myself is far more rewarding than watching another person do it. Yes, tie a super-knotted bracelet by mistake, I'd then be spending endless time as a kid, enjoying the process of loosening the knots and re-do the handmade friendship bracelet -- even though I could've easily cut new strands and start over again.

I'll start with getting re-acquainted with the piano. Here is a short clip of me sight-reading a Van Morrison song -- just the first verse. My plan is to learn  two songs to play as a bride next year. So, I was casually playing to see which songs would work. I guess this blog would pick up when I were to document DIY passes and fails. :) 

O' Alberta

Oh, province of great beauty -- not one bit the same
From North to South; Prairies to the Rockies
Diverse wealth from fertile soils and fossil fuels

Sweet home, Alberta...

- Cynnie, September 30, 2012

(This is my very first acrylic medium. My only exposure was a brief introduction to mixing basic acrylic colours when I was volunteering for Artist on the Ward at the university hospital.)

How to Survive a Job Hunt

Scenario A:
So, it is your final year in university or college. The intensity of team assignments and fast-looming deadlines is increasing the need for Tums to settle your poor stressed stomach. Living on very little sleep after possibly a lot of instant junk foods and cans of energy drinks, job hunting could be far from your mind right now....

Scenario B:
You are working in what appears to be a dead-end job where you've learned everything you could. You want to move out or up. You want a career. How do you transition from a job into a career?

PLAN FOR SURVIVAL (Think Effectiveness and Efficiency)
In either scenario, you will need a plan. Not just a plan to write a general resume, hit "send" to 50 jobs and hope to hear back from 3 recruiting managers. No, unless you are applying for general help at restaurants, retail stores and the like, spending 15 minutes in total on a resume and cover letter is simply not enough. Personally, each resume takes me at least 3 to 6 hours to write. Have someone who has recruiting experience to proof-read your application and give you honest feedback. Plan to stand out from the crowd.

There are some common grounds between dating and job hunting.
1. 1 Husband and 4 wives: WHO? WHAT?! WHY? WHERE? HOW?!
Take some time to visualize yourself in 5 years from now. What do you want to achieve in your personal life? Now, what do you want to be in a professional life?
Nag line: RESEARCH! RESEARCH! DO YOUR RESEARCH and evaluate yourself!

What are your personal values?
- This will ensure we set our conflicting priorities right. It could be work-life balance or having time to enjoy our hobbies. Once we become aware of what we want in the long term, we can filter through endless job postings that do not fit our personal goals and values.

Which company (WHO) do you want to work for? What industry is it in? What is the corporate culture of the company you are applying to?
- It is important to know our targeted audience. How we go about networking depends on which industry we want to get into. If it's design and marketing oriented, a cardboard sign that says "Hire Me! Recent grad" may not be memorable. Also, have we got a portfolio ready?
If the job requires proof that you have registered for a professional designation (say accounting), make sure you include your program's transcripts in your application.

What are the company's vision and mission statement? (Often found on the company's About link on its website)

Does the company's corporate culture and value(s) relate to your own personal values? (Now, we do not want to date a person that does not believe in recycling and being environmentally friendly, do we?!)

- Or would you prefer to work for yourself? In that case, do a 5 year business plan and extensive market research, as well as a 5 year financial forecast analysis.

2. There is no "I" in team:
So, you are sitting at a table on your first date, you are trying to have a balanced conversation to get to know each other. 20 minutes have passed and all you have heard is, "I love football! The other day, I scored big by breaking my personal best running speed record. Oh, by the way, my best asset is my 'smile'. I am a super easy-going guy, you will like me. I will treat you ridiculously nice. Why don't I become 0your boyfriend?"
Okay, slow down. If your cover letter sounds like that, chances are that you will have the recruiters scratching their heads going, "That's nice. So what?" How can you bring value(s) to the company you are hiring for? How can you show that you will be a good 'fit' for the team you want to be part of?

3. Relevance! Read the job description carefully. Preparing your resume and cover letter thoroughly also prepares you for the (behavioural) interview
"I have got no time" is not a good excuse. When you are job hunting, you have to leave your victim attitude behind. Remember, you are trying to stand out from the crowd and away from the "Why not pick me?" mentality.
In a recessive economy, it is important to be aware that employers are looking for efficiency and effectiveness. This means possessing the ability to handle multiple conflicting priorities, eliminate any unnecessary work and make suggestions to improve specific processes.
Read the job description carefully; highlight keywords. Use as much keywords as possible and be honest, so that a software could move your resume closer towards the Most-Likely-Yes pile.
Why do I spend 6 hours on a resume? It takes time to really understand what kind of ideal candidate they are looking for. Also, it takes time to edit my past job experiences (from a different industry) relevant to the job. If there is an ideal job I really want but lack experiences, I save the job description and plan to fulfill the skills required to further progress in my career.
Also, depending on the industry, use common fonts: Arial or Times New Roman font no smaller than size 11. Triple check for spelling and grammatical errors. Pay closely to see if your document looks uniform and well-put together. It shows attention to details, so if such attribute is in your resume but there is a spelling error. It shows you are lying.

4. Get Organized!
I cannot stress the importance of keeping track of all your applications. Save the date and name of the job and company you've applied for. There is nothing worse than picking up a phone call and wonder, "What job did I apply for?"
Yep, true story. I made that error when I was 18 or 19, looking for office administration positions. I went into an interview whereby the recruiter had to tell me what the job is about. Recruiter's only comment was "Really nice resume." Her reason for rejecting me was silently obvious. My answers lacked weights how I am going to be of value to the company at the job.

5. I ain't no gold digger!
If you want to get rich fast quick, forget about working for a company. Go marry a rich sugar momma or sugar daddy and sign a pre-nup.
Here comes the dreaded question: What are your salary expectations?
Again, research the country's industry average. If you are asking for $100,000.00, your resume will go towards the bottom pile.

6. Dress to Impress
If you are wondering what to wear for an interview, think conservative black/grey/white/tan colours, with accents of colour underneath your blazer. Wear minimal jewelry. Iron your shirt
 or blouse if it's wrinkled. Minor details matter because it will bring you confidence!

In a nutshell, your resume and cover letter tell the recruiting manager your:
- Ability to communicate effectively
- Detailed orientation

Your interview could test your:
- Analytical skills
-Technical skills (They might ask you to sit in front of an equipment and perform a highly skilled task)
- personal approach to possible obstacles and/or challenges

Good luck! Do keep in mind that this is a difficult selection process on the recruiting side as well -- it is nothing personal when we do not hear any news. Job-hunting is an ongoing learning process; do remember to thank your interviewers for the opportunity.

Unplugged Happiness

While taking a two year hiatus on blogging on the Cynful Wire, I have been reflecting on the pursuit of happiness. If writing keeps me happy, what should I write (other than poetry)? Every day of the year seemed to be playing endlessly on repeat.... Having to bargain my way with every day mindless hum drum -- unpleasant road-raged drivers or commuters too eager to plop their faces onto a smartphone screen to take notice of anything else. This is my typical every day bus commute: a man taking two seats on a full bus, blissfully oblivious playing a game on his smartphone; he must have paid double fare for the seat of his backpack while an elderly lady hangs onto the rail for dear life. A mere "hello, excuse me" elicited no acknowledgement out of this gentlemanly stranger.

Try this point challenge, especially if you take public transit. Count how many people (including ourselves) have their eyes glued onto an electronic device screen. One point per bus passenger. Add 10 points if you see a driver texting and driving.

It has been three weeks since I have de-activated my Facebook. Since then, I have been able to focus on my studying a whole lot better -- rather than spending time on writing updates on studying. Laughable, isn't it?!

Unplugging from Facebook can seem terrifying at first -- but then, I remember how exhausting it is to keep up with up-to-the-minute details on my family, friends and acquaintances' lives. It has been amazing how much my stress levels has dropped -- without realizing how I unhappy I was, comparing my busy uneventful life with that of others. It also stopped me from living vicariously through others and having to worry about "being watched" closely -- or if a post would portray me as a narcissist. Quitting Facebook doesn't mean I am turning anti-social; if anything, it allows more face time. (Ironic, isn't it?) If anyone wanted to keep in touch, I'm only a phone call or an email away. Even better, I am finding the time to write thoughtful snail mails --things that only seem possible in times before the era of social media.

Another unplugging challenge is obvious: cellphone use. Figure out how much your smartphone usage is costing you on an annual basis. Factor the 3% average annual inflation cost -- so, multiply the cost of your annual cellphone bill by 1.03. If you are in a cellphone contract, multiply that number by the total number of years. Say, without including how much the cellphone costed, here's a rough estimate: an average of $55 per month x 12 months x 3 years x 1.03 x 1.03 x 1.03. That cellphone will eat away at least $2,163.41 over the span of 3 years -- $680.00 annually that could grow slowly at 1.20% in a tax-free savings account. Now, include the initial cost of your cellphone minus what you could sell it for -- does keeping in contact with everyone has to cost us our limb? Then, note how many impulse purchases we make from having convenient access to the Internet. Can we differentiate needs from wants?

Being plugged in kind of reminds me of a scene in the Pixar movie Wall-E. It is the part where humans would sit comfortably obese in their chairs, doing everything through a screen, oblivious to the existence of a swimming pool.

Once we start looking beyond our personalized bubbles, then, we can be more aware of how our actions can impact others and ourselves. To do good as a eco-global citizen requires more than liking an environmental or activist group -- it requires our genuine passion and planned action. We have to be good loving neighbours to be respectful citizens. Go ahead -- be fearless, unplug and be happy!

PSA: Facebook Places

Facecrook... beg your puddin', Facebook is getting cleverer each time with each new launch of a platform or an application. Just over a week ago, Facebook Places was just briefly talked about in the newspapers. I just found out today that I had to play with privacy settings YET once again.

What is Facebook Places? In a nutshell, it's a genius viral marketing tool. Your friend checks you in or you decidedly to "check-in" at your favourite location(s). Marketers understand the N-generation far too well: N-geners are far more technical savvy and more easily influenced by their peers. However, is this method ethical if privacy issues were taken into consideration? Facebook seems to have lengthy and complicated opt-out processes if you do not wish friends to "stalk" you. Facebook Places deserves this:

Now, to effectively opt-out of Facecrook Places, there are four steps.

1. Privacy settings > Applications/games/websites > Information accessible through friends > Uncheck Places

2. Privacy settings > customise settings > set "Places I check in" to "ONLY ME"

3. Privacy settings > customise settings >Friends can check me in to places > select disable
   

4. Account settings > Notifications >turn Notifications off for Facebook Places.

See, it's a lengthy opt-out process.

Easy Recipes

I am starting a food blog despite the fact that I'm not a talented food photographer. It is basically a compilation of recipes that are a) easy to make, b) won't break your budget, c) healthy.

Some of my favourite online recipe sites are such:
www.allrecipes.com
www.makantime.com (for authentic Southeast Asian cuisine)
Then, to (shamelessly) promote my food blog, here it is: http://cynniebuns.wordpress.com

Earth and a Sea of Roses

(image source; perhaps a painting/drawing might ensue)

I'm sailing on a sea of roses
Scent of spring is in the air
It's the land of happy pill doses
Love and humility everywhere

If that is how heaven is ---
That kind of quiet soothing blissfulness
But earth is crying;
She's used, abused for the comfort of living
Stripped of her beautiful birds and trees
Cellular signals confuse the bees
Why can't we see more empathy? We can take some responsibilities
Recycle and reuse; make earth feel and look pretty
Live life in humility

This is heaven; what goes up will still come down
It saddens me when nobody gives a damn 'til they hear the sound
of thunder crashing, of earth shaking
Grieved and hurt, heaven's turning to hell
Tainted love, she's got to ring the death bell

I'm on a ship that sails on the sea of roses
It doesn't sink when the thorns encloses over us
Storms and beasts are some of life's happy feasts
Drunk with love from fermented yeast

That is how heaven is ---
That kind of joyful lovingness
But greed and hate
seems to be Earth Mother's fate
Raped of her precious metals and fuel fossils
Acid rain on rose petals and wastes from paper mills
Why aren't we ashamed? We are all to blame
Money doesn't buy true beauty
Life life in humility

This is heaven; we live what we make it to be
It's a huge garden for thousands of species to roam free
It's not just for you and for me
For the future, heaven can be better
For the past, we can treasure what has last

Love heaven, love earth
Rose buds of hope and a new birth
Love heaven, love earth
On a sea of roses, we will surf


- Cynthia C., written March 29, 2009

Cynful Indulgence presents: Where to eat or dine in Edmonton?

You might be surprised to hear that you don't have to travel any further than Edmonton for fine variety of restaurants. Sure, you could go to the Taste of Edmonton to indulge your taste buds for sample size portions. Alternatively, you could pick up a SEE or VUE magazine and browse through reviews. Or, you could look at these suggestions and use google to find what other reviewers have to say about them. Sorry, food photography isn't really my thing when it ought to land on my taste buds first.

Fast bites for breakfast/lunch
A. Shine Cafe
If you work in downtown, a notable cafe with delectable choices for breakfast and sandwiches/salad for lunch is neatly tucked right along the walkway to Canada Place. So far, I have tried an egg, havarti cheese, spinach English muffin at $2.95. At first I was skeptical -- the near-by affordable breakfast places I have frequented up to that point were just OK.
It is quite the priviledge to be served by the chef himself; he is the owner of the cafe. He went to culinary school at SAIT. You might want to read his work biography if you do decide to pop by the cafe. When I took my first bite at my office desk, I was in breakfast heaven sans bacon.

B. Pho King
Okay, don't laugh at the name. Decent prices and amazingly delicious Vietnamese food. The owner's sister-in-law is an amazing cook. Don't fancy pho or vermicelli? There's breakfast all day! Furthermore, they have Happy Hour for a certain time after 3 pm.

C. Handy Bakery
It is ALWAYS dangerous to carry your debit or credit card there. Mouth-watering pastries and various variety of fresh bread.... If they have this on the menu: "lasagna, garlic toast and caesar salad" and if they still have some available, it is worth a try. Caution though, you might get hooked and would look forward to the next time it's on the menu. It was always a good day at work when the indulgence of cream horns and custard tarts from this bakery are being shared at work. Oh, hope you won't be counting calories. After all, letting yourself indulge DOES involve burning some calories.

CULINARY TREASURES: The journey around the world in Edmonton
A. Ethiopian: Blue Nile
Yes, there are restaurants that serve sheesha. Co-Co Di was a popular spot until it got burnt down. The Blue Nile offers both exotic food (on the main floor) and sheesha (in the basement). Do not be turned off by using your hands to eat. The food is delicious; it is actually quite fun to tear a piece of this sour-dough wrap/flat-bread and eat it with meats and/or vegetable.

On a side note, Sabzy Cafe (Persian cafe on Whyte Ave) also offers sheesha. Reviews would be unavailable for this cafe since I haven't tried it yet.

B. Chinese:
There are plenty in the city. It depends on what you want or your location within the city.
Dim Sum
For chinese breakfast ("dim sum"), there are a few in the south-side. "Beijing Beijing" is a great note-worthy place for dim sum, with quite reasonable prices. It is very busy in the weekends; after a certain time in the morning, you would have to wait for spots.
Mirama and Century Dynasty are good for dim sum too; it's not difficult to find a dim sum place in Chinatown. Fast service, good food. Likewise, Good Buddy at Northgate is a great place for dim sum as well.

Dinner -- dining with a group of people
Great seafood!
You might want to learn how to use the chopsticks properly before the peaches and shrimp arrives on the lazy susan at Wok King. (Or save one and put it in your spare bowl!) This restaurant is two stores away from the Garden Bakery in Chinatown. Even though not known by many people, it is often packed on big occasions such as Chinese New Year.
Great hot-pot!
A great way to enjoy food and company is to bond while cooking fresh ingredients. Tantalizing sauces to dip your food in: peanut sauce, satay sauce, and so on. The broth is always amazing closer to the end of the meal. The hot pot restaurant to indulge at is Spice Kitchen. It serves barbecue grill and other entrees as well if you do not have enough people to share hot pot with. Spice Kitchen is a seafood lover's heaven! Fresh mussels, shrimp, scallops, fish.... Reminiscing the food they have got there is making me hungry!

C. Korean:
Bow down to Bul-go-gi House. Located close to Faculte St. Jean, this family restaurant offers a great selection of authentic foods at reasonable prices. You would have to try the way they prepare their beef. Every thing there is to die for... even their deep fried won tons.

All you can eat buffet barbecue at Korean Village. Keep in mind, however, that over-eating brings discomfort. Please enjoy responsibly.


Wait, there are even more note-worthy eateries/restaurants in Edmonton, but I shan't spill it all. The best part of indulging while eating out is the process of discovery and be pleasantly surprised by it all. Just take a walk or drive around the University of Alberta campus, Whyte Ave, 109 st, 99 st (two German restaurants can be found here) for a start. Well, the rest usually depends on the experiences of whom you know. Or, even better, join the Taste of U tour if you can. (It is a lot cheaper than the Taste of Edmonton -- it's free! Plus, you get to shed calories walking from cafe to cafe. A risk-free way of trying new places.)

Bon Appetit!

Shoes

Shoes... They walk the talk for you; they help provide good posture and confidence. Well, that's provided IF they are klutz-proof too: you should be able to run in them down the stairs at midnight, away from the prince.

Here is a question for all females: have you ever found a shoe that is a) comfortable, b) stylish or trendy, c) durable, AND d) practical? Or is it often accompanying opposites: b) and not a) or vice-versa.

Shoe shopping is often a daunting task: once you buy a pair of shoes, they are often non-returnable despite the fine print on the bottom of the receipt. (I hate shoe shopping; it's sort of like speed dating: try them on, five minutes later, on to the next pair.) When it comes to shoes, impulsive buying: creating logical reasons for irrational purchases -- can be very costly. Not just your wallet, but your nicely pedicured feet.

Here are top things to bear in mind when buying a pair of cutesie fairy tootsies:

1. Comfort: How would this pair of shoes feel on concrete? (Most shoe stores probably spend quite a bit on their flooring to provide support for cute and painful shoes.)
   
2. Purpose: How much movement would be required? Would it provide the support I need?
3. Stability: What is the probability of tripping in these in front of a cute guy? (Unless you claim to be a stuntswoman needing a guy to break her fall)
4. Budget: Is this classified under a "need" or "want"? A shoe store may be asking at a killing price for the very last cute and comfy pairs of darlings; however, unless you are satisfying an impulsive appetite, you might be able to settle for the next relative pair of affordable cutesies... elsewhere.
5. Origin of Make: Are the materials ethically obtained? How were the shoes made? (What are your ethical values?)

Maybe it is mission impossible to find shoes that strongly fit in both ergonomic and aesthetics segments. Or, maybe there can be shoes that are physically appealing than Crocs. Until such a pair arrives, I would be having fun re-organizing my shoe shelf in the mean-time.

Scotty the Guardian Dog

Next year, I will pledge against cancer by cycling for the cure. For now, however, I will just draw to help my boyfriend's grandma lighten up; I wish I could visit, but it's not easy getting time off from work. Thank you for continuing to keep her in your prayers.

This picture was first done by hand, then the colours are enhanced using an open-source drawing tool. This was the original:

I love life, don't you?

Brangelina vs Bren

Two words: who cares? I can't walk into a drugstore without seeing tabloid magazines publishing different stories on the cover with catchy headlines, tempting you to pick one up, regardless if you're a fan or not of any of the three celebrities.

So what? The paparazzi could happen to have taken snapshots of celebrities on their 'bummed-out sweatpants' moment; they made speculation that Team Brangelina is having troubles. Like I'd have the time to look pretty when there are 6 kids to be taken care of. Well, besides.. how do we know if their nanny is or isn't a Supernanny?! Er, and why is there even a section on People that "celebrities are exactly like us"? Duh, we're all homosapiens; we'd go through similar stages in life regardless if there's less of us possessing referrent power.

Having said that, a partnership or any union of some sort takes two to tango. It requires sacrifice and compromise; this includes marriage. There's nothing seriously wrong with reading tabloid news; it is quite entertaining to be able to escape your own reality... just for a little while. It is always enlightening to be putting other people's problems under a microscope than our own. The problem with long-term relationships, however, depends on both ability to trust, communicate and respect one another. You work at it. People grow up; you either grow together or apart. Love isn't exactly a happy-go-lucky fairy-tale. Nothing worth having comes easy....

Hmm, think about it. What if the various tabloid magazines are having rivalries in coming up with the best "Bren reunion" story? It's a win-win situation. Whatever the outcomes, I don't really care....

Cat & Mouse presents: Clever Crimes

Good Ol' Fashioned Recipes

The problem with most new recipe books nowadays is that you'd have to scramble aisle after aisle, searching for all the listed ingredients. When I am planning to cook, I'd most likely want to use most of the ingredients I already have. Most of us are not budding chefs; we just want to prepare a meal that is tasty (and healthy). Lately, going to Goodwill and the antique mall has paid off in search of old recipe books.

Just recently, I tried this recipe from a Prairie kitchen cookbook. It was found in the low calorie section; it is called Chicken Breasts Milano. I adjusted the quanties slightly since I was only cooking for 3 people.
6 whole chicken breasts (boned, skinned)
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp garlic salt
3/4 tsp Worchestershire sauce
2 1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup parsley flakes
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup butter, melted (you can use butter substitutes if you'd like)
1/2 cup tsp dry mustard

Mix crumbs, parsley, salt, cheese & Italian seasoning in a bowl.
Mix together butter, garlic salt, mustard & Worchestershire sauce.
Dip chicken breasts in the butter mixture, then coat with crumbs.
Roll up, fasten with a toothpick and place in 9 x 12 inch buttered baking dish.
Pour rest of butter mixture on top.
Cover with foil.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour.
Remove foil and bake 20 minutes longer.
Yields 6.

Happy New Year and Decade!

Welcome to 2010. This time, hopefully, they will give us our jetpacks and flying cars. Well, try expected economic growth and job creation; (educated guess on) increase in interest rates. It will also be the year of the Tiger whenever the first day of Chinese New Year arrives in February 2010. It will be a splendid year: Canada is hosting Winter Olympics and CBC is airing the World Cup for soccer in the summer. There will be a lot of long weekends to look forward to.

While it is very normal to make new year resolutions and break them, for every resolution I break, there will be a $20 fine or penalty going into the savings account. Hence, it won't be that bad if I did break one: it will help me save towards the things I am budgeting for.

May 2010 be the start of an era where entrepreneurs shine. Let the good times roll and strike when opportunity knocks. It will definitely be interesting to observe how music will evolve. Let's just hope more fun and simple music will hit the airwaves.